verbs associated with business-related actions.

Duration: 20-30 minutes.

We need verbs!

These tables should help in understanding the regular and irregular verbs associated with each business-related action. The tables below provide a comprehensive overview of regular and irregular verbs associated with various daily actions in a small business context.

Let’s talk business.

What’s happening in this The Godfather movie clip? In Las Vegas, Michael (Al Pacino) meets with Moe Greene and offers to buy his hotel. Fredo defends and takes the side of an enraged Moe stung by the offer of the Corleones son.

These verbs reflect common activities in meetings, calls, emails, quotes, projects, building, and construction, facilitating effective communication and task management in a small business setting.

Meetings

Verb	Type	Definition	Example
Schedule	Regular	Arrange or plan (an event) to take place at a particular time.	“We need to schedule a meeting for next Tuesday.”
Discuss	Regular	Talk about (something) with another person or group of people.	“Let’s discuss the quarterly report during the meeting.”
Plan	Regular	Decide on and arrange in advance.	“They plan the meeting agenda a week beforehand.”
Record	Regular	Set down in writing or some other permanent form for later reference.	“Please record the meeting minutes accurately.”
Convene	Regular	Come or bring together for a meeting or activity; assemble.	“We will convene a meeting to address the issue.”
Hold	Irregular	Arrange and take part in (a meeting or discussion).	“We will hold a meeting with the new clients tomorrow.”
Begin	Irregular	Start; perform or undergo the first part of (an action or activity).	“The meeting will begin at 9 AM sharp.”
Take	Irregular	Engage in; be involved in.	“We will take a vote at the end of the meeting.”
Speak	Irregular	Talk to convey information, an opinion, or a feeling.	“She will speak during the meeting about the new project.”
Give	Irregular	Present or deliver (a talk, speech, etc.).	“He will give a presentation at the meeting.”

Calls

Verb	Type	Definition	Example
Dial	Regular	Call (a telephone number) by turning a dial or pressing buttons.	“She dialed the number to make the call.”
Answer	Regular	Respond to (a phone call).	“He answered the call on the first ring.”
Return	Regular	Come or go back to a place or person.	“I need to return some calls this afternoon.”
Connect	Regular	Join together so as to provide access and communication.	“I connected the call to the manager.”
End	Regular	Bring to a conclusion.	“She ended the call after confirming the details.”
Ring	Irregular	(Of a phone) make a sound to signal an incoming call.	“The phone rang loudly during the meeting.”
Speak	Irregular	Talk to convey information or express thoughts and feelings.	“He spoke clearly on the call.”
Hold	Irregular	Keep (something) in one’s hand or position to use.	“Please hold the call for a moment.”
Make	Irregular	Form (something) by putting parts together.	“She made several important calls today.”
Begin	Irregular	Start; commence.	“The call began with a brief introduction.”

Emails

Verb	Type	Definition	Example
Compose	Regular	Write or create (a work of art, especially music or poetry).	“She composed an email to her supervisor.”
Receive	Regular	Be given, presented with, or paid (something).	“She received an email from the client.”
Attach	Regular	Fasten; join.	“He attached the document to the email.”
Reply	Regular	Say something in response to something someone has said.	“Please reply to the email by tomorrow.”
Write	Irregular	Mark (letters, words, or other symbols) on a surface, typically paper, with a pen, pencil, or similar implement.	“She wrote a detailed email to the customer.”
Read	Irregular	Look at and comprehend the meaning of (written or printed matter) by interpreting the characters or symbols of which it is composed.	“He read the email as soon as it arrived.”
Send	Irregular	(As irregular in some contexts)	“She has sent several emails today.”
Take	Irregular	Lay hold of (something) with one’s hands; reach for and hold.	“He took the time to carefully craft his email response.”
Get	Irregular	Come to have or hold (something); receive.	“I got your email this morning.”

Quotes

Verb	Type	Definition	Example
Request	Regular	Politely or formally ask for.	“She requested a quote for the new software.”
Provide	Regular	Make available for use; supply.	“He provided a quote for the services.”
Compare	Regular	Estimate, measure, or note the similarity or dissimilarity between.	“They compared quotes from different suppliers.”
Receive	Regular	Be given, presented with, or paid (something).	“He received a quote for the construction project.”
Review	Regular	Assess (something) formally with the intention of instituting change if necessary.	“She reviewed the quote before making a decision.”
Get	Irregular	Come to have or hold (something); receive.	“He got several quotes for the job.”
Give	Irregular	Freely transfer the possession of (something) to (someone); hand over to.	“She gave a quote for the repair work.”
Take	Irregular	Lay hold of (something) with one’s hands; reach for and hold.	“They took the quote under consideration.”
Read	Irregular	Look at and comprehend the meaning of (written or printed matter) by interpreting the characters or symbols of which it is composed.	“He read through the quote carefully.”
Speak	Irregular	Talk to convey information or express thoughts and feelings.	“She spoke with the vendor to clarify the quote.”

Projects

Verb	Type	Definition	Example
Plan	Regular	Decide on and arrange in advance.	“They planned the project in detail.”
Execute	Regular	Carry out or put into effect (a plan, order, or course of action).	“She executed the project flawlessly.”
Complete	Regular	Finish making or doing.	“They completed the project ahead of schedule.”
Monitor	Regular	Observe and check the progress or quality of (something) over a period of time; keep under systematic review.	“He monitored the project’s progress closely.”
Deliver	Regular	Bring and hand over (a letter, parcel, or ordered goods) to the proper recipient or address.	“She delivered the project to the client.”
Begin	Irregular	Start; perform or undergo the first part of (an action or activity).	“The project began in January.”
Lead	Irregular	Cause (a person or animal) to go with one by holding them by the hand, a halter, a rope, etc., while moving forward.	“He led the project team effectively.”
Take	Irregular	Lay hold of (something) with one’s hands; reach for and hold.	“She took charge of the project.”
Run	Irregular	Move at a speed faster than a walk, never having both or all the feet on the ground at the same time.	“He ran the project efficiently.”
Make	Irregular	Form (something) by putting parts together or combining substances; create.	“They made significant progress on the project.”

Building

Verb	Type	Definition	Example
Construct	Regular	Build or erect (something, typically a building, road, or machine).	“They constructed the new office building.”
Design	Regular	Decide upon the look and functioning of (a building, garment, or other object), by making a detailed drawing of it.	“She designed the layout of the building.”
Paint	Regular	Cover the surface of (something) with paint, as decoration or protection.	“They painted the exterior of the building.”
Install	Regular	Place or fix (equipment or machinery) in position ready for use.	“He installed new windows in the building.”
Inspect	Regular	Look at (someone or something) closely, typically to assess their condition or to discover any shortcomings.	“She inspected the building for any defects.”
Build	Irregular	Construct (something) by putting parts or material together.	“They built the new wing of the building last year.”
Make	Irregular	Form (something) by putting parts together or combining substances; create.	“He made several improvements to the building.”
Take	Irregular	Lay hold of (something) with one’s hands; reach for and hold.	“She took the measurements for the new building project.”
Find	Irregular	Discover or perceive by chance or unexpectedly.	“They found a problem with the building’s foundation.”
Get	Irregular	Come to have or hold (something); receive.	“He got the permits for the building construction.”

Construction

Verb	Type	Definition	Example
Excavate	Regular	Make (a hole or channel) by digging.	“They excavated the site before construction began.”
Assemble	Regular	Fit together the separate component parts of (a machine or other object).	“He assembled the scaffolding for the construction.”
Measure	Regular	Ascertain the size, amount, or degree of (something) by using an instrument or device marked in standard units.	“They measured the area for construction.”
Secure	Regular	Fix or attach (something) firmly so that it cannot be moved or lost.	“She secured the materials needed for construction.”
Pour	Regular	Flow rapidly in a steady stream.	“They poured the concrete foundation for the construction.”
Begin	Irregular	Start; perform or undergo the first part of (an action or activity).	“The construction began in May.”
Build	Irregular	Construct (something) by putting parts or material together.	“They built a new bridge as part of the construction project.”
Hold	Irregular	Keep or detain (someone).	“They held a meeting to discuss the construction plan.”
Find	Irregular	Discover or perceive by chance or unexpectedly.	“They found a problem during the construction phase.”
Take	Irregular	Lay hold of (something) with one’s hands; reach for and hold.	“He took measurements to ensure the construction was accurate.”